E-Business
ISOC Says Internet Economy Presents a Major Opportunity for Africa
Many African countries have made significant progress toward creating an Internet sector, with broad sector reforms and focus on increasing broadband availability. However, there is still much work to be done to strengthen the Internet sector and to create an Internet economy in Africa.
This is according to a report by Internet Society titled “Promoting the African Internet Economy” which looks at Internet adoption and usage by companies and governments throughout Africa.
The study says Internet access infrastructure is no longer the roadblock to Internet adoption that it once was. While it is not available to everyone, and not affordable to all people, in many countries mobile broadband is now available to a far higher proportion of the population than are using it, it adds.
A focus on building the Internet sector is critical for development, but will have an ultimately limited impact on the size of the economy, says Internet Society.
The study says the Internet’s contribution to gross domestic product (GDP) in Africa is low relative to other developed and emerging economies. Internet-based companies currently represent a single digit percentage of the economy of most African countries, it adds.
In developed countries, the Internet contributes up to 3.7% of GDP on average, while in African countries it’s just 1.1%, says the report. In Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries the Internet sector makes up 3% to 5% of the workforce countries, but in developing countries only 1%.
Policy must focus on deepening the Internet sector, to ensure all users and organisations can go online, with good quality access that is affordable and supported by online skills training, says the study.
Two areas of focus should be: online platforms that can support further online growth, ranging from mobile money services to online employment platforms and supporting entrepreneurial efforts to allow innovative new companies to emerge, says Internet Society. These platforms themselves can grow into entire ecosystems that propel broader economic growth, it adds.
“The result will be an Internet economy that offers business-to-consumer services online with new opportunities for all citizens, business-to-business services to make the economy more efficient, and e-government services for all that are inclusive and reach all citizens.” This will enable growth and opportunities within the country, while also allowing all in the country to fully interact with the global digital economy, buying and selling goods, and providing services around the world, says the study.
If the Internet begins to match or exceed the levels seen in other countries, the impact on the continent’s economic and social development could be immense, says the study. As it stands today, there are already signs of growth of the Internet economy in some African nations – but there is great disparity across and within countries on the continent, it added.
However, a thriving Internet economy in Africa could be put at risk by the increasing number of Internet shutdowns in the region, says Internet Society.
Africa needs a secure and reliable Internet infrastructure that users trust to bring large and small businesses online, along with governments and other social services,” says Dawit Bekele, Africa region bureau director for Internet Society.
“In addition to the economic costs, Internet shutdowns also affect trust. If people don’t know whether they will have connectivity, they can no longer rely on that connectivity to build Internet-based businesses. This will affect entrepreneurs in greatest need of digital-led innovation for their own future, and the future of the Internet economy in Africa.”
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a collaboration on National Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to enhance synergy between digital identity, payment ecosystems and secure seamless data exchange capabilities for Nigeria.
l-r: Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of NITDA, and Bisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General of NIMC, during the meeting at the NIMC headquarters in Abuja..
NITDA, which made the announcement on its X handle, said that the collaboration was to further strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,
During the meeting, Kashifu Inuwa, director general of NITDA, and Bisoye Coker-Odusote, director general of NIMC, with some management staff of both organisations, discussed various initiatives, which include building DPI stacks for a secured and seamless data exchange and forming partnerships to transform the national identity system.
This collaboration also aims to harness the potential of the innovative ecosystem and emphasise the use of public-key infrastructure (PKI) to drive digital transformation in Nigeria.
To ensure a smooth implementation, a 12-man committee was set up.
This committee will play a crucial role in kickstarting and harmonising the initiatives and is expected to deliver a comprehensive implementation report within the next 4 weeks.
Noble Ajuonu, head, Sydani Technologies Ltd., has urged the Federal Government to harmonise National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to tackle crimes and insecurity in the country.
Ajuonu made the call at a media roundtable, organised by Sydani Group in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the roundtable focuses on driving sustainability through a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria’s key development areas.
Ajuonu said that Nigeria could overcome its security challenges and pave the way for a safer, more secure future for all Nigerians by embracing technology and implementing practical solutions,
“We need to harmonise data, prioritise seamless integration of databases like NIN, BVN, and security agency records, establish clear protocols for data sharing and access, with robust safeguards against misuse,’’ expert said.
According to him, the unified data pool will empower intelligence gathering and targeted operations.
He also called for investments in smart surveillance, intelligent video analytics software, training of personnel in data analysis, interpretation of data in real-time to combat crimes.
“There is need to implement a legal framework for call interception in criminal investigations, with strict oversight to prevent abuse, encourage community cohesion, training of tech savvy security personnel with tech-enabled tools.’’
Ajuonu also urged the government to address infrastructure deficit in technology, saying that technology was all encompassing to address insecurity.
“According to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as of December 2023, only 104.2 million Nigerians had been enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN).’’
Ajuonu added that over 122.2 million citizens left uncaptured for NIN were people in rural areas where enrolment centres, digital services were limited.
“Most crimes are being perpetuated from rural communities and this lack of comprehensive identification creates a gap where elements not captured in the national database can constitute public nuisance, crimes.
“There is the inadequacy in the integration of NIN, BVN and Voters Identification Number (VIN).
“Advanced call interception and analysis tools, used successfully in other countries, could provide invaluable insights into criminal networks and operations but infrastructure is lacking,’’ he said.
Also, Mr Godfrey Petgrave, the Agricultural Expert, Sydani Group, called for empowerment of smallholder farmers with access to finance and training to enhance productivity.
According to Petgrave, Nigeria requires policy reform and institutional strengthening to improve agricultural practices and embrace digital agriculture solutions to address food insecurity.
Mr Akolade Jimoh, another expert of the group on health, advocated for expanded community-based health insurance programmes for rural and underserved areas.
Jimoh added that the country needed to encourage Public Private Partnership to revolutionise products design and quality improvement on health services.
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